Elections on tap for enlarged Clarksville

SoVaNow.com / February 26, 2014

Clarksville’s mayor and all six members of Town Council must stand for election this year because of a provision in Virginia law that requires a new ballot whenever a town’s population increases by more than five percent after an annexation.

The annexation agreement between Clarksville and Mecklenburg County that went into effect Jan. 1, increased Clarksville’s population by more than eight percent.

Mayor Kevin Allgood and council members Christopher Clarke, Glenn Jurczyk and Carolyn Hite were already up for re-election in May as part of the normal election cycle. Due to the annexation, however, seats held by Connie Torres, Mike Sizemore and Bill Nunn also will be added to the ballot for a special election.

Both the regular general election and the special election will take place on Tuesday, May 6.

After speaking with Mecklenburg County elections registrar Jason Corwin, Town Manager Jeff Jones said the Council seats held by Clarke, Jurczyk and Hite will be placed on the general election ballot and candidates will run for full four-year terms. The position of mayor will also be on the general election ballot, but only for a two-year term. The seats held by Torres, Sizemore and Nunn will be on special election ballot and candidates for those seats will run for the remaining two years of a four-year term.

The current officeholders are eligible for re-election to their seats, or they may choose to run for one of the other offices. All candidates, challengers and incumbents, must decide whether they wish to run for either a four-year or the two-year term, but cannot run for more than one seat.

Anyone who wishes to run for Town Council or Mayor in the May 6, election must file with the County Registrar in Boydton no later than next Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. Voters or candidates with questions may contact the Elections Registrar at 434-738-6191, ext. 4313.